Obama moves ahead of Romney in nat’l poll

After the two were tied a month ago, President Obama has moved out to a seven-point lead over former Massachusetts Gov. Willard “Mitt” Romney in the latest ABC News /Washington Post poll.

“Obama looks to have turned the budget debate to his advantage: His position on the deficit is more broadly popular, he’s taking less heat than the GOP for unwillingness to compromise, and he’s got a sizable lead in the view he cares most about protecting the middle class,” said ABC pollster Gary Langer.

The president has 51 percent in the poll to 44 percent for Romney: The Obama lead is smaller among registered voters. The ABC/WashPost June poll set of shock waves when it showed Obama and Romney each with 47 percent.

After trailing 44-48 percent among Independents last month, Obama is now ahead 52-42 percent in the poll. The Note on ABC News reported:

“Obama is also doing better now than a month ago among white Catholics (another swing voter group), women, moderates and middle-to-upper middle income groups.”

President Obama also runs ahead of libertarian GOP Rep. Ron Paul 53-41 percent. He leads a not-yet-declared candidate, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, by 55-38 percent, and is in front of Tea Party favorite Rep. Michele Bachmann by 56-39 percent.

Romney remains a shaky frontrunner in the GOP field: He gets 26 percent among Republican voters. In second place, although not making her intentions known yet, is former half-term Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin at 18 percent. Bachmann runs third at 12 percent, her support concentrated in the Tea Party movement. All other GOP candidates are in the single didgets.

The poll was taken July 14-17 and has a margin of error of plus/minus 3 percent.